Home
by Storms
Summary: They say Time heals all wounds but I don't think that's true. Only one thing could heal Emily's heartache...Love. There have been a lot of stories written about the night Sam attacked Emily but nothing about how they reunited. This is the story of how the
1. Chapter 1

**Homes**

By Storms and Cocoa

Summary: They say Time heals all wounds but I don't think that's true. Only one thing could heal Emily's heartache...Love. There have been a lot of stories written about the night Sam attacked Emily but nothing about how they reunited. This is the story of how they put the past behind them and strengthen their bonds of love.

Disclaimer: No, neither Cocoa nor I are Stephenie Meyer…trust me I wish I was because I would get to live with Edward trapped in my head. LOL.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the lastest compliation between Cocoa and myself. There have been a lot of stories written about the night Sam attacked Emily but nothing about how they reunited. This is the story of how they put the past behind them and returned to each other. This story inspired a new genre that we have apply entiled "ANRO" (angsty romantic). Hope you enjoy! **

**Huge thanks to our beloved Beta...BE MY ESCAPE. Loads of love Sweetie...without you this wouldn't be here. **

**Disclaimer: No I'm not Stephenie Meyer...despite what some of you think. :D And no Cocoa isn't either. If we were we would be busy writing Breaking Dawn.**

* * *

**Home**

By: Amber and Cocoa

"Emily, please go rest. You just got home yesterday, leave dinner to me." My Aunt hasn't left my side in weeks. Not since the day I woke up in ICU, dazed and confused. It had been six weeks, four hospitals, three states, and two cosmetic surgeons since I last laid eyes on this kitchen. I sighed heavily and placed the wooden stirring spoon on the counter. "I was just trying to be useful. You've been waiting on me hand and foot for weeks. Please let me make you dinner."

She placed a tender, motherly hand on my unscarred cheek, "Rest Emily, please. There will be plenty more meals for you to cook in this lifetime. Take some time for yourself. There is more healing to be done yet." She moved her hand gently and placed it lovingly over my heart. "Some wounds take much longer to heal."

I blinked back the tears welling in my eyes. Not a word, not one word from him in a month and a half. No note, no message, not even a phone call to see how I was doing. Nothing. The air in the house suddenly felt suffocating. "I think I'll get some fresh air then. Maybe, take a walk to the beach."

She smiled at me warmly before kissing me on the forehead and turning her attention to the pot of stock I had started on the stove.

With a sigh I left my home to clear my head. Since that first moment I woke up in the hospital, I hadn't had one moment of peace, one minute to myself. If it wasn't doctors and nurses poking and prodding me, asking if things hurt or if I needed more pain medication, it was my friends and family hovering trying to comfort me. But they didn't understand, there was only one person who could comfort me but he was nowhere to be found. I breathed in the fresh earthy air as I made my way to the back of the house and stepped through the trees, finally alone.

I walked blindly through the woods, weaving through the path within the ancient trees, wrapped up in my thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to preoccupy my mind with plans for the future, I always drifted to the same question. _How could he not tell me?_ I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together as equals, sharing everything with each other. But when the time came, he didn't trust me enough to share the worst burden he would ever have to carry.

My heart ached to think of Sam bearing the burden of such a secret by himself. There was no one to share his load, to be his anchor; I was supposed to be that anchor. He looked so lost when I confronted him about his behavior. For weeks he had been avoiding me. Not returning my phone calls, and never being home when I came by. Had he honestly expected me to stay away? In the midst of all the change had he forgotten who I was, who we were?

In frustration I reached up and tore a cluster of leaves from a passing tree and picked them apart as I walked. This isn't how our story was supposed to end. His life was taken over by our legends and everything that he was looking forward to was taken away. I could have helped him through it; I know I could have, if he had only let me. Why didn't he just let me?

There was nothing but confusion rumbling around in my head. Did he think I would run away from him because of what he had become? Did he think so little of me? He was still the man I loved, even though he was now a protector. He would always be my true love; nothing, not even his new form was going to change that. How could he ever doubt that? There were so many questions and no answers.

I felt something cool trickle down my cheek and I wasn't sure if it was the tears that now freely flowed from my eyes or the rain that was falling through the canopy above me. It all felt the same. I missed him, and without him I was lost. He was my life and now that he was gone, I had nothing left. Every plan, every moment of my future revolved around being with Sam. We were going to get married some day; live happily ever after. I was to be his wife. But what was I now? Just a sad scarred girl. Alone.

The salty breeze blew in from the beach, rustling the leaves around me. I looked behind me out of habit. Sam always had a knack for finding me when I was out for a walk. He would sneak up behind me and try to scare me, but I always heard him coming. Sometimes I would play along, just to watch his smile and see the mischievous glint in his soft brown eyes. I sighed as I thought about how much I would give to find him there behind me.

I wonder where he is now. Was he running free through the forest with the wind in his hair? Was he happy? I swallowed hard at that thought. I didn't want him to be happy without me. I wanted him to be with me. But even if he came back, I wonder if he would even want me now. Unconsciously, my hand lifted and my fingers gently combed through my hair hiding the deep traces in my face.

The path broke through the thick foliage and opened onto the rocky beach; the same beach where Sam and I sat, wrapped in each other's arms, and watched so many sunsets together. I closed my eyes accepting that those moments were all in the passed. The light rain had darkened every stone making it look as though I were walking on endless miles of onyx. I picked up a smooth stone and held it tightly in my hand as I walked to the waters edge. The tide would be rising soon, but I stood close to the water watching each wave roll over the rocky shore and then disappear under another coming wave. I threw the stone I held in my hand as hard as I could into a rising crest as the sadness and loss rose within. I needed him back.

And then I felt him. The breath caught in my throat. I didn't have to turn around to see who it was. I knew, I always knew. It was as if every cell in my body called to him when he was near.

"Sam" I whispered so softly it was barely audible to my own ears over the sound of the ocean. I dropped my eyes down to the ground, unable to turn around and look at him. I had thought about this moment a million times over, how I would act, what I would say. But now that he was here I couldn't find the words.

"Emily, are you…" his voice trailed off in the wind as it gusted. I noticed the distance he kept between us. Even though it was only a few feet, it felt like miles. I wanted to run to him, to feel him hold me again. I wanted him to tell me everything would be ok, that we would be together. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. He had made his decision.

The heartache burst from my throat, as I answered his unfinished question, "No, Sam, I'm not." Everything within me hurt; cold, hollowing pain engulfing everything within me, the kind of pain that cannot be healed with doctors or dulled by pain medication. My aunt was right.

"I'm so sorry, Emily." Sam choked out his words. "I wish I could take everything back; save you from all of this. I should have known better. I never wanted to you to have to deal with this. But I promise I will never come near you again."

"I'm not sorry, Sam." I wouldn't apologize for everything that we shared together. I did not regret loving him, or one moment of my life with him. He was everything to me and would always be.

"I almost killed you, Emily! How can you not hate me? I'm a monster." His voice grew to almost a growl on his last proclaiming word.

"You don't understand, Sam. I would have stood beside you to the end, no matter what you had become. But you didn't want me to; you wouldn't let me. That's what hurt the most. Not the wounds, but losing you. That is what almost killed me."

"I…" His voice trailed off. He sounded so hurt and I ached to comfort him. "Look at me, please."

"I can't." I wanted nothing more than to look into his warm and loving eyes, I couldn't. He hated himself enough without seeing what happened after he left. I couldn't hurt him any more.

"Emily, please." His pleading tore at my heart and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't refuse his pleading any longer. As I slowly turned to look at him the wind caught my hair and pulled it across my face, but I didn't try to pull it away. I let it dance in the wind covering the scars.

As my eyes locked with his I saw nothing but fear, sadness, and self-loathing in my love's eyes. He was a shadow of his former self, the strong valiant man that I gave my whole heart to, was replaced by a sullen, brokenhearted shell. Sam had lost his soul. He couldn't see past the nightmare, past the wolf.

Sam's face crumbled, as a tear escaped his eye, and it broke my heart. His trembling hand rose up to my face, slightly grazing his fingertips over my cheek as he ran his fingers into my hair, pulling it back. He dropped his hand and made to run away, but I was not going to let him go this time. I was going to fight. Resolve rose from my chest, fueling my soul with power. I would show him, he was Sam, my soul mate, not just the animal.

I grabbed his large hand before he could run. He turned back to look at me, tears tumbling down his handsome but warm features.

"No, I'm not letting you go again. I love you, Sam!" My voice and my heart called to him.

Sam fell to his knees at my feet, sobbing. His once powerful presence wiped away, leaving only his despair. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close.

"What have I done to you?" his voice was nothing more than a whisper as he sobbed against my body. I knelt down to come face to face with him. He lifted his fingers to my scars once again but I caught his hand this time.

"Don't you see, Sam? We have been marked, not by the scars on my face or the claws in your hand, but by our souls. We are the same. It is about this..." I pulled his hand down to cover my heart as it beat quickly beneath my chest, calling out to him. "We have been united by powers beyond our own control. I am yours and nothing will ever keep me from you again."

"I don't want to hurt you Emily." He leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm too dangerous for you to be around anymore and I can't bear to lose you."

"I'm staying Sam." I lifted my head and took his face in my hands, running my thumb along his beautiful cheek. My eyes piercing into his as I repeated my words with shear determination, "I'm staying with you."

Sam wrapped his arms slowly around my waist, pulling me into the heat of his body. The feel of him around me erased the pain that once tore me apart. I could feel myself become whole once again as I let myself melt into him. He was my life and I was his.

Our hearts beat strongly against each other, calling for the other. I looked up to meet his gaze, burning with passion. And I felt the desire for his touch burn within me. As his lips fell just inches from mine he breathed, "I love you."

"I will always love you," I answered.

Beyond all the expectations, pain, and grief, bloomed something so powerful it rent the walls that had separated us from one another for so long. Forgiveness. Our lips melted together sealing our fate and eternally reuniting our destinies. I was home.


	3. Author's Update

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let my readers know that I've started an author's page where you can follow me as I chronicle my writing adventures into the world of publishing. It includes some of the original stories I've written, helpful sites for those of you who want to break into the publishing world as well, the advice I've received from industry professionals, and outlets that I find inspiration in. I would love it if you guys joined me over at www{dot}cmvillani{dot}blogspot{dot}com for each step of the way. See you there.

~Storms


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